Young Road wheat fields in, 2015
Jackson Township’s story
Jackson Township in pictures
The archive holds 2 old photos and papers going back to 2015 and 2 maps from 1960 on.
Explore the history →
Jackson TownshipDarke County, OH
A town of 2,657.
3 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Nyttend · Public domain
Population
2,657
2025 Census estimate · −0.7% since 2020
Median home value
$117K
Census ACS
Household income
$44K
median
Median age
45.0
years
Jobs based here
507
A commuter town
TownGrade
B
#520 of 987 in OH
Is Jackson Township a good place to live?
Jackson Township gives you more for your money than most places: homes are within reach, about $117K for a typical one, or 1.8 years of the Greenville area’s $64K median household income. It grades B overall, 520th of 987 graded towns in Ohio. The low prices come with trade-offs. The median household income is $44K, and 22% of residents live below the poverty line, and residents are less healthy than 91% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. On the plus side, its schools outperform 80% of the state's. 22% of residents live below the poverty line in Jackson Township, where Ohio’s towns sit at 9.1% and U.S. towns at 9.6%. Only 32 of Ohio’s 1,560 towns score lower on civic life. The biggest park or preserve is Coppess Nature Sanctuary, at 31 acres.
What makes Jackson Township stand out
Where Jackson Township beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
0historic places
HistoryA−
0 historic places
A long history
Listed for their history, architecture or both.
Mississinawa Valley Local schools
| School | Grades | Students |
|---|---|---|
| Mississinawa Valley Elementary School | K–6 | 307 |
| Mississinawa Valley JR/SR High School | 7–12 | 276 |
| Mississinawa Valley Preschool | PK | 47 |
SchoolsA−
On state tests and graduation
NCES · EDFacts.
A commuter town
90% of working residents leave Jackson Township for work
Where Jackson Township’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
507jobs based in Jackson Township
10%of working residents work in town
17 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Jackson Township grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Ohio), ordered by how far Jackson Township is from typical.
Jobs & income507 jobs based hereDOpen →HealthWayne Hospital 12 miles awayDOpen →Cost of livingAOpen →SchoolsA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 28% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listB+Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.7 of 20; 10% of households have no car; 6.4% of workers walk, bike or ride transitB+Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors1 mile of trail; 0% conserved landC−Open →HistoryA−Open →Civic life1.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsDOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Jackson Township: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Jackson Township, and how to reach them.
PowerDarke Rural Electric CoopEIAHIFLD · EIA
WaterUnion City Village PWSNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet10 providers98% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Jackson Township’s trash rules yet
Register to voteOnlineIn Ohio you can register online until 30 days before Election Day, in person until 30 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 30 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereDirector, Darke County Board of ElectionsDarke County; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Aug 2019
ZIP codes45390, 4530345390 98% · 45303 2%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Aug 3, 2026.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Jackson Township.
Jackson Township pairs an A− for schools with modest home prices, sends many workers across the state line to Union City and is healthier than towns with similar incomes.
HealthD
For health, Jackson Township earns a D
Against the 3,678 U.S. towns with household incomes like Jackson Township’s, it is less healthy than 65%, so its D isn’t only a matter of income.
21% of adults smoke cigarettes in Jackson Township. Jackson Township beats the Ohio average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 16. 17% of adults report frequent physical distress in Jackson Township.
9%healthier than U.S. townsDHealth Grade
| Jackson Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 21% | 16% | 14% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 15% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 13% | 12% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 28% | 25% |
32 measures vs. Ohio
0 better16 too close to call16 worse
| What stands out | Jackson Township | OH |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.6% | 15.3% |
| More adults with COPD | 11.2% | 8% |
| More smokers | 20.8% | 15.4% |
Wayne Hospital
12 mi away · emergency room
3 of 3
care shortages: primary care, dental, mental health
11th
percentile among OH towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
SchoolsA−
For schools, Jackson Township earns an A−
Its A− for schools comes with an A for cost of living: the typical home is worth about $117K.
Its public schools are run by the Mississinawa Valley Local school district. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
80%of OH districts it outscoresA−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississinawa Valley Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–6 | Grades K–6 | 307 | B− |
| Mississinawa Valley JR/SR High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 276 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within OH on state tests and graduation
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
With 0.5 jobs for every working resident, most of Jackson Township’s workers commute out
28% of working residents cross a state line to work, Union City among the top destinations.
Most working residents leave Jackson Township for work: only 10% work in town. The top destinations are Greenville (16%), Union City (6%) and Union City (5%). Half commute less than 17 miles.
10%work in town
| Jackson Township | Ohio towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $44,000 | $75,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 10% | 6.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 24 minutes | 25 minutes |
Where working residents work
In Jackson Township10%
Greenville16%
Union City6%
Union City5%
Greenville Township4%
17 mi
median commute distance
507
jobs based in Jackson Township
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
B+
Walkability grade: more walkable than 71% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B+
Jackson Township faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 72% of U.S. communities.
28risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingTornadoesEarthquakes
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Jackson Township
Jackson Township has chilly winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 19° and about 19 inches of snow falls in a winter.
19″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter22–37°
Spring40–61°
Summer61–82°
Fall43–64°
Oct 20
typical first frost
Apr 21
typical last frost
+1.1°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
OutdoorsC−
Jackson Township has set aside 0.2% of its land for conservation
0.7 miles of trail in 1 park or preserve.
0.2%conserved
0.2%
conserved · 33 of 19,767 acres
0.7 mi
of trails · 0 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Coppess Nature Sanctuary | 0.7 mi | 31 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Nearby attractions
All 38 attractions →Grand Lake St. Marys State Park and 14 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Jackson Township. Close and well known come first.
25 mi State parkGrand Lake St. Marys State Park
13 mi MuseumFort Recovery
21 mi MuseumLevi Coffin House
20 mi MuseumShrine of the Holy Relics
39 mi MuseumArmstrong Air and Space Museum
33 mi GardenMinnetristaSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Grand Lake St. Marys State Park: Bruin, CC BY 2.0 · Fort Recovery: Nyttend, Public domain · Levi Coffin House: Nyttend, Public domain · Shrine of the Holy Relics: Rfgagel, Public domain · Armstrong Air and Space Museum: Tysto, Public domain · Minnetrista: XWHJ2004, CC BY 2.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Jackson Township
18pages on Jackson Township
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Jackson Township; the nearest are
Wright State University-Lake CampusUniversity or college · Public · Celina25.3 mi$7,728 in-state tuitionIvy Tech Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Indianapolis, IN79.7 mi$5,154 in-state tuition
About 2 of every 100 Jackson Township residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across Ohio.
About Jackson Township
Township in Ohio, US
Jackson Township is one of the twenty townships of Darke County, Ohio, United States. The 2020 census found 2,668 people in the township.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 31 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,066 ft
Jackson Township’s neighbors
3 towns share a border with Jackson Township.
Washington TownshipBrown TownshipMississinawa TownshipJackson Township
How the neighbors grade
| Town | OH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson Township | #520 | B | A | — | A− | D |
| Washington Township | — | — | A | — | B− | D |
| Brown Township | — | — | A+ | — | A | C+ |
| Mississinawa Township | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Washington Township and Brown Township have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Jackson Township, Washington Township and Brown Township report no FBI crime data of their own. Mississinawa Township isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Jackson Township with a neighbor →
Questions about Jackson Township
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Jackson Township, OH a good place to live?
By most measures, yes. Jackson Township grades B overall, better than 58% of U.S. towns and #520 of 987 in Ohio. It grades D for health and A− for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
Is Jackson Township, OH expensive?
Not for the area. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades A.